A VIEW OF THE STRAITS OF MESSINA IN ITALY'S SOUTHERN ISLAND OF SICILY, 2002-06-06 (photo)

An undated picture of the straits of Messina in the Italy's southern island of Sicily. After years of uncertainty, Italy committed itself on Thursday to building the world's longest suspension bridge, a mega-span linking the mainland to the island of Sicily across the torrid straits of Messina. "This time we're going to do it, I promise you," Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told reporters with a beaming smile as he left a cabinet meeting where the decision was taken. Infrastructure Minister Pietro Lunardi declared, in the same conference, that the first stone of a bridge would be laid by the end of 2004 and should be done within five or six years of a project set to cost 4.6 billion euros ( $4.3 billion). REUTERS/Tony Gentile VP/CLH/